Stereotypes, sociotypes and prejudice

WHAT IS A STEREOTYPE? A fixed, commonly held notion or image of a person or group, based on an oversimplification of some observed or imagined trait of behavior or appearance.

EXPRESSION OF STEREOTYPE A single word or phrase An image Combination of words and images

Characteristics of Stereotype Views can be positive or negative Develops superiority or inferiority in the person or group Ignores the uniqueness of individuals by painting all members of a group in with the same brush.

THEORY About this topic we need to focus on the difference among stereotype, sociotype and prejudice Stereotype comes from the Greek stereos (rigid) and tops (footprint). As a matter of fact he referred to a rigid mask where it was used to drop molten lead to make more copies of it; it can be used many times and its main features are the fixity, rigidity and repeatability. Lippmann was the first who used this word in a different context: according to him the social stereotype is a distorted and simplified view of social reality: the stereotype, he adds, is made up of mental images that we build to simplify reality and to make it understandable to us.

The stereotypization process If there are some nuances, it makes differences; it is like a scheme, a greed where we put our information. Sometimes a stereotype can born when people attribute to a social group some arbitrary features or sometimes exagerating some aspects that are true. This starts taking a little truth and then making it bigger and bigger.

sociotype Sometimes, stereotypes can become social stereotypes: sociotypes. It means that a big mass of people, share the same idea. So when a big group of society, emits a negative idea about a class of individuals, we have the sociotype. If one of a group has got some negative features, it can be imagined as all the individuals taking part of that category, as they have got the same features. Here the prejudice starts, it is an idea that we have before the knowledge.

STEREOTYPES AND PREJUDICE In the relationships, the human being needs to simplify the amount of information so that he can do previsions about the qualities of the people and about their possible behavior. So he applies this system of knowing. Sometimes he tends to have a perception of the objects of the same category, as much similar as they really are. So, to have a prejudice means to be hostile towards what we do not know, or what is different from us. We have an instinct that makes us able to recognize ourselves within groups, and to activate feelings as friendship or hostility.

National stereotypes: How Italian people are considered: Italians are famous wops, they love dishes with pasta, but they are considered as noisy untidy people, mother’s boys who like fashion and football. First mental association with Italians is: mafia - corruption - football. They don’t speak English , they gesticulate, they are always late, they depend on coffee. video

Some of the most common stereotypes The Dutch are stoned all the time, they are greedy and wear wooden shoes. Splitting  the bill is called ‘Going Dutch’. Men are unlikely to pay for their dames. Every dutch shed keeps at least a dozen bicycles Every Romanian is a Gipsy’ –they are supposed to be thieves and dirty beggars. They drink a lot Turkey is a strict Muslim country.  Women walk around in Burkas, covered from head to toe, only showing their eyes. Turkish people are supposed to be uneducated. Men are dominant, women are submissive and stay at home. Men are lazy and they  smoke a lot. Supposedly conversation with Hungarian it’s not a child’s play: is it said they first talk , second do and third think. they are always  late

Some of the most common stereotypes 5.  What brings the Czech Republic to ours mind is the imagine of old Czech, who wears sandals with socks. They have amazing keen sense of humor, they can laugh at themselves, and it is said that if You hit Czech, he will nod and smile. Polish is a thief and is backward, but some nationalities think that Polish people are very hard –working which can survive in every circumstances. They like vodka a lot 7. About Cyprians we can hear, that they are terrible drivers and straw is showing from their shoes, it comes from the belief, that they exchanged donkey for Mercedes' too fast.  8. Portuguese are slow. Moustached Women are always liked. They also have the bad habit to spit everywhere.  

In Italy we have a lot of Chinese people What are the stereotypes about them… Small pennis Eat everything that moves Everything “made in China” is falsificate All Chineses are alike Chineses can’t speak english Chopsticker thieves Chinese work whithout any respect of the law All Chinese people are short. All Chinese people are good at math and science. Chinese people eat rice and noodles everyday. Chinese people live with their parents all their lives. Chinese people are always suspicious of non-Chinese people. All Chinese people know how to grow rice. All Chinese people are Kungfu masters. Every Chinese person owns a bicycle. All Chinese people have poor vision. Chinese people are extremely competitive.  

Do you know different ones ?

EFFECTS OF STEREOTYPING ON PERSONS/GROUPS Prejudice Stigma Discrimination Racism Conflicts

At school stereotyping and prejudice originate from several different sources.

What are the Consequences of Stereotyping? The dangers of stereotyping are many Influences our perception of others Affects our behaviors Affects the behaviors of the stereotyped group Self-fulfilling prophecy “A belief that causes itself to be true" Can lead to positive or negative behaviors

Stereotype Threat When we are aware of stereotypes, we might live down to them

How can we overcome Stereotyping and Prejudice?